hmmmm, Having a Big Butt Could Be Healthier Than You Think

Subject: hmmmm, Having a Big Butt Could Be Healthier Than You Think Tue Mar 23, 2010 12:27 am

That Ample Rump Could Be Healthier Than You Think

Lower-body fat may produce hormones that ward off certain diseases

Having junk in your trunk is healthier than a spare tire around the gut, new research suggests. The extra padding on the backside and thighs could even help to protect against disease.

The results come from a review that summarizes various studies on the health effects of different fat stores in the body, particularly around the hips and thighs.

"The fact that body fat's distribution is quite important for your health has been known for some time now," said lead researcher Konstantinos Manolopoulos of the University of Oxford in England. But this new article summarizes a body of research showing that such hip and thigh fat can help to reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease. The review also suggests a mechanism for conveying those benefits.

The next step is to figure out how our bodies decide where to store fat, say, in the stomach versus the butt. "Once this is understood then one could think about therapeutic approaches to make useof that," Manolopoulos told LiveScience for an article that appeared on msnbc.com. "Maybe to make use (of it) in a preventive way by redistributing the fat."

When looking through the studies, the researchers found that not all fat is created equal. Stomach fat is considered more metabolically active than lower-body fat. While that may sound good, as this fat breaks down easily, the result is a release of substances called cytokines, which have been linked to cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and diabetes.

But scientists think lower-body fat, like that around the hips and thighs, produces beneficial hormones that protect against these diseases, though more research is needed to firm up this expectation.

In addition, this lower-body fat also traps fatty acids. While this long-term storage can make it tricky to slim down your butt and thighs, it's healthier for you if some fat stays put.

"If fatty acids are not stored in fat but are stored in other organs like the liver or the arteries, this makes you prone to develop diabetes and heart disease," Manolopoulos said.

He said the most compelling evidence for the link comes from population studies showing the more fat individuals have in this hind area the less likely they are to develop diabetes and heart disease later in life.

The scientists aren't sure how the body decides where to store fat, but it's partially genetic. That genetic force can be seen in the gender differences in how fat gets stored, with women having much more of the healthy lower-body fat than men. And females have a much lower risk for heart disease, Manolopoulos said.

"As long as you are female and your hormones are female hormones you are protected from cardiovascular disease," Manolopoulos said. "The moment you go into menopause and your hormones change, you lose your typical female appearance and you gain stomach fat and, at the same time, your risk for heart disease and diabetes becomes comparable to men of the same age."